About this recording
Wheels of Fire · 1968 · Wheels of Fire live album performance
Playing level: advanced · Theory level: beginner
Compare the brighter major pentatonic sound with the rougher minor pentatonic sound. Keep A in view in both maps.
The scales at a glance
Compare the notes
Learn these shapes, then see how they help explain each solo below. Some are extra ideas for your own practice.
| Scale | Notes | Intervals | Use in this study |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Major Pentatonic | A · B · C♯ · E · F♯ | 1 · 2 · 3 · 5 · 6 | Listening guide |
| A Minor Pentatonic | A · C · D · E · G | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
Solo breakdown
Main solo
Guitar: Eric Clapton
Where is this solo?
The first extended guitar solo in the live Crossroads recording on Wheels of Fire. The later solo is a separate break.
A Major Pentatonic
Listening guide
A major pentatonic is a useful map for the brighter opening ideas in the first solo.
A · B · C♯ · E · F♯
◎ Outlined dots = A, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 5–9 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 5: A, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 7: B, interval 2
- String 1, fret 9: C♯, interval 3
- String 2, fret 5: E, interval 5
- String 2, fret 7: F♯, interval 6
- String 3, fret 6: C♯, interval 3
- String 3, fret 9: E, interval 5
- String 4, fret 7: A, interval 1, root
- String 4, fret 9: B, interval 2
- String 5, fret 7: E, interval 5
- String 5, fret 9: F♯, interval 6
- String 6, fret 5: A, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 7: B, interval 2
- String 6, fret 9: C♯, interval 3
More about these scales
A Major Pentatonic Listening guide
A major pentatonic is a useful map for the brighter opening ideas in the first solo.
A · B · C♯ · E · F♯
A Minor Pentatonic Listening guide
Compare A Minor Pentatonic with A Major Pentatonic. Listen to C beside C♯, and notice the other notes that change in the two lists.
A · C · D · E · G
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Listen for the landing note
Listening idea A major and A minor pentatonic share A and E. The other notes differ. A blues solo can draw on both sounds over the changing chords.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- bending: A bend raises a note by pushing the string across the fretboard. Play the target note first, then bend a lower note until it matches. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Try this slowly
Choose A Major Pentatonic and play A, C♯ and E slowly. Then choose A Minor Pentatonic and play A, C and E at the same speed. Leave a pause between the two sounds.
Check: You can keep a steady pulse and hear the final note clearly.
A simple practice plan
Put the study into practice
- Listen to the chosen solo and identify its beginning and ending.
- Find the root notes: the notes the scale is named after. Say their names, then play them.
- Add one new note, or aim for a note from the chord. Make a short phrase of your own.
- Listen to the solo again. Can you hear where the phrase comes to rest?
Updated 2026-11-10
This analysis may contain errors or inaccuracies.